World Sight Day: Guyana Society for the Blind receives donation of white canes

In observance of World Sight Day, themed “Love Your Eyes”, the Guyana Society for the Blind (GSB) on Thursday received a total of eight white canes from the Let’s Change Forever foundation, a non-profit organisation in Guyana.

The foundation had received a total of 30 white canes from the US Army Veterans, which it distributed to the GSB, the Archer’s Home, Uncle Eddie’s Home, and to other visually impaired persons who were in need of the canes.
The white cane is a long, foldable cane that assists someone who is partially or completely visually impaired to navigate and avoid obstacles on the road. It is their visual aid that helps identify dents, platform edges, steps and uneven surfaces, among other things.
Co-founder of the Let’s Change Forever foundation, Mineva Fogenay, made the presentation to the President of the Guyana Society for the Blind, Cecil Morris.
Morris expressed gratitude to the foundation for the timely donation, and noted that the GSB’s members are in dire need of the white canes.
“Well, today (Thursday) is World Sight Day, and because it’s World Sight Day, the Let’s Change Forever foundation decided that they want to do something and donate some canes, which is really badly needed by the Society, cause our members, you might see some of them with pieces of stick walking on the road and things like that. Then somebody might not want to take them in their vehicle because they frighten the stick might damage their vehicle; so, when you get canes like this, you could easily fold it up, put it in your pocket or in your bag, and things like that,” Morris explained.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than two billion people have a vision impairment or blindness, and at least one billion of those could have been prevented, or have yet to be addressed.